Washington Wrap
Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Beth Lester, Clothilde Ewing and Dan Furman of the CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.
Monday's Headlines
* Greens Reject Nader/Camejo Ticket
* Kerry vs. Menino
* McCain, Schwarzenegger and Miller to Speak at GOP Convention
* Even Richer Than Anybody Thought
* Bush and Kerry Both Shooting (and Casting) for Sportsmen's Votes
Veep Watch: Two Democrats high on John Kerry's list of potential running mates shared a stage in Iowa this weekend, bashing President Bush and advertising themselves as the best running-mate option for the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The AP reports: "Delegates at the Iowa Democratic State Convention repeatedly came to their feet in cheers as the North Carolina senator and Iowa's own governor, both prominent in speculation about Sen. John Kerry's eventual running mate, lambasted Bush. Both bashed Bush, but Edwards, sounding the themes he offered during his bid for the nomination, had the more fiery speech. Vilsack promoted his accomplishments as governor, especially Iowa's broadened health care coverage and improving test scores among Iowa students."
The Charlotte Observer reports from Des Moines: "The guessing game over Kerry's choice has torqued up to high gear as the convention in Boston grows closer and prominent Democrats offer their unsolicited, and public, advice. Edwards' ability to invigorate crowds at Democratic events in recent weeks helps accelerate the buzz that he's the preferred candidate of the rank and file. Kerry's only real deadline for making a choice, though, is the July 26 start of the convention, and it's to his advantage to drag out the decision. The No. 2 slot is the only big unknown in the campaign right now and will continue to draw media coverage."
The New York Times and The Washington Post take looks at the strengths, and potential weaknesses, of Vilsack and Edwards' none-too-secret campaigns for the number two slot.
The Post reports: "Of all the surrogate candidates and vice presidential hopefuls, none can touch Edwards's ability to electrify crowds and charm voters out of their socks. But Democratic big shots and small-county chairmen alike say there is no question that the charismatic senator still covets the presidency -- in 2008, 2012 or whenever the next opportunity arises. Among the biggest decisions Kerry faces is whether Edwards could check his ego and ambitions for four or eight years and play the loyal, subservient and rarely glamorous role of vice president, whose greatest concern is supposed to be the president's best interests. Purely in terms of campaigning this fall, the Massachusetts senator also must consider whether Edwards's sizzle would make his own more prosaic style seem unacceptably wooden by comparison."
For its part, The Times takes a look at Vilsack-as-running-mate and reports: "Vilsack may not have the name recognition of John Edwards or Richard A. Gephardt; he may not have legions of trial lawyers and donors or leaders of big unions lobbying Mr. Kerry to choose him. But make no mistake: He wants the job badly."
The Times outlines Vilsack's case for being tapped: "Halfway through his second and, under a self-imposed limit, his final term, Mr. Vilsack turns aside questions about his relative anonymity by pointing to his résumé. Among other things, he is the chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association, giving him a foothold in Washington. And he makes clear that here in the heartland, he has been pursuing a centrist Democratic Leadership Council-style agenda that barely differs from Mr. Kerry's domestic platform. Their priorities are nearly identical: education, jobs, health care, energy independence, albeit, in Mr. Vilsack's case, with a lot more emphasis on all the dazzling potential uses for corn and soybeans in biotechnology and alternative fuels."
"Like Mr. Edwards, whom he praises as "a great guy, charismatic speaker, articulate, passionate," Mr. Vilsack is a successful trial lawyer with a bootstraps biography. Like Mr. Gephardt, whom he calls "solid as a rock," he is a Midwesterner with strong union support, a broad grasp of policy and a warm friendship with Mr. Kerry. Like neither of them, he is a governor, giving him executive experience but also a built-in chorus of critics.
The AP, meanwhile, casts some home-state doubts on Dick Gephardt's statewide popularity. "While his influence with the state's powerful players is undeniable, Gephardt has never run for statewide office and lacks the familiar profile and personal rapport that grows from traveling Missouri's back roads. While high-profile Missouri Democrats are gleeful at the prospect of having a home-state friend on the national ticket … many rank-and-file Democrats outside St. Louis expressed indifference about Gephardt, and in candid moments, a touch of resentment. The Associated Press contacted 11 randomly selected county Democratic chairmen and chairwomen across Missouri to inquire what they would tell Kerry if he asked which prospective running mate would carry Missouri, which President Bush won in 2000. Seven of the 11 promptly named Edwards, frequent second-place finisher to Kerry in early contests."
As Veep Watch continues, here's a look at where the potential running mates are this week:
Sen. Evan Bayh: In Indiana all week.
Wesley Clark: Private fundraiser in New York on Monday.
Edwards: On vacation through Friday, July 2 at an undisclosed, but presumably secure, location. Returns to Washington on Saturday and does his annual beach walk in North Carolina on Sunday, July 4.
Rep. Richard Gephardt: In California through Monday. On Tuesday, he's in Chicago for Rainbow Push convention and then returns to Washington, where he spends the rest of the week with no public events.
Sen. Bob Graham: Traveling in France all week on a Congressional mission. Returns to Miami over the weekend to spend July 4 in Florida.
Vilsack: In Des Moines all week with limited public events. Will be with John Kerry on July 4.
Nader Blasts the Greens: >story=625114>The Green Party dealt Ralph Nader a blow over the weekend as delegates opted for one of their own and chose David Cobb as their presidential nominee rather than endorsing both men, as the Nader campaign hoped. And although Nader maintained he would respect whatever decision the party made, he didn't have such kind words after his campaign plea was rejected.
The Washington Post reports: "A day after not getting the Green Party's endorsement for president, Ralph Nader brushed off the rejection as an inconvenience, described the party as 'strange,' called the party's national nominating convention 'a cabal' and predicted who the big loser in its decision not to endorse him would be.
"'The benefit was really for the Green Party,' Nader said of what an endorsement of him would have meant… Instead, by nominating Texas attorney David Cobb, Nader said, the party that made him its candidate in 1996 and 2000 will 'shrink in its dimension' and 'has jettisoned [itself] out of any influence on the Democratic Party.'"
Now that space will go to Cobb, Nader will not have access to the 23 Green Party ballot lines, leaving Nader the task of getting his name on those ballots himself. Cobb says he will compete only in the states where he won't affect the Kerry-Bush race. In the key battleground states, he will focus on Green candidates running for other races.
Nader got started on Saturday in Oregon, where he tried for the second time to get the required 1,000 signatures that would get him on the ballot. More than 1,100 people showed up, but state election officials said the margin might not be wide enough if some of the signatures are invalid, reports the AP.
Democrats cried foul of Friday when it was revealed that two conservative groups, Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Oregon Family Council, had been calling people around Oregon, urging them to attend Nader's convention on Saturday. In a conference call with reporters, the easily excitable Howard Dean lashed out at not only the conservatives, but also Nader who he more or less accused of being in bed with them. This "strikes at the heart of Ralph Nader's integrity," Dean said. "You cannot accept the ballot support of the right-wing of the Republican Party and then go out and pretend you're a progressive," he continued. The groups make no secret of their goal, to draw votes away from John Kerry, therefore helping Bush.
It will be a couple of days before elections officials check the signatures, but Nader points out that all is not lost if this attempt does not work either. Under state law, he can also qualify by organizing a signature drive later this summer.
And, on Sunday, Nader headed to Washington state, where he worked to get the 1,000 signatures needed to get on the Washington state ballot, reports the AP. Jason Kafoury, one of Nader's national field coordinators, said they already had more than 1,100 signatures with more to come. The signatures are not due until August.
Kerry vs. Menino: Given a choice between speaking to the National Conference of Mayors and crossing a picket line of striking city workers, Sen. John Kerry decided to avoid the picket line and ended up crossing Boston's mayor instead. Sen. Kerry, who had been scheduled to speak at Monday's event in Boston, cancelled his appearance telling reporters on Sunday as he left church, "I don't cross picket lines. I never have."
The city workers – including firefighters and police officers, have been picketing Mayor Menino at all of his public events. Mayor Menino is scheduled to speak on Monday, forcing the day's other speaker, Sen. Kerry, to cross the workers to attend. Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan told the Boston Globe. "Crossing a picket line is something John Kerry is not prepared to do," Meehan said. "We had held out hopes they would have reached a resolution by now. We know both sides were working in good faith."
But Kerry's determination to avoid crossing the lines has drawn the ire of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Menino, at a news conference after a Symphony Hall performance last night, said, "I'm very disappointed. They should open the picket lines and let John Kerry in so that he can make the speech," reports the Globe.
The main issue for Kerry appears to be the picketing firefighters. The International Association of Fire Fighters was one of the first unions to support Kerry, back when very few others were in Kerry's camp, and continues to be an active part of Kerry's campaign. Democratic strategist Michael Feldman told the Globe, "There are firefighters showing up in almost every other state Kerry's traveling to…In my knowledge, he's never crossed an active picket line, and I can't imagine he would start now."
Instead of appearing in Boston, will call into the American Nurses Association biennial convention in Minneapolis and the B'nai B'rith convention in Hollywood, Fla., before attending a previously scheduled fundraiser in Baltimore on Monday night.
McCain, Schwarzenegger and Miller, Oh My: The GOP convention this year is going to feature many high-profile names. The New York Times reports Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Gov. George E. Pataki of New York have been chosen for prime-time speaking spots. The list interestingly enough doesn't really include that many firebrand conservatives. Instead these popular moderate Republicans are going to underline Bush's response to 9/11 and hopefully drum up support for the campaign.
In particular the White House is hoping that Giuliani, the extremely well-liked former mayor of New York, will be very effective at this. Using these moderates instead of hard line conservatives show that George W. Bush's campaign seems to have learned from at least some of the mistakes George H-W. Bush's campaign made. The senior Bush saw his 1992 convention dominated by hardline conservatives, notably Bush's primary opponent Pat Buchanan, which haunted the failed campaign. Other high profile speakers for prime time will include first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige.
The GOP is also giving a prime spot to Democratic Sen. Zell Miller. Miller, who is giving up his Georgia Senate seat at the end of the year has not been much of a Democrat in recent years as the Washington Times reports. The senator voted for Bush's tax cuts and to confirm Attorney General John Ashcroft and now heads the Democrats for Bush-Cheney committee.
The planed address to the GOP convention drew some fire from Democrats. Brad Woodhouse, spokesman for the Democratic National Senatorial Committee said, "I can't imagine what they hope to get out of Zell Miller — do they really think they need help with angry white males?" Republicans, in fact, think that Miller is going to help them with two demographics. Republican campaign adviser Charles Black explained, "It would solidify some Democrats in the South who are thinking about voting for Bush and open the minds of some Democrats outside the South who sort of don't like Kerry but haven't yet come around to making up their minds for Bush."
Richer than Rich: Although it is not surprise that Teresa Heinz Kerry is extraordinarily wealthy, a new analysis shows that previous estimates of a $500 million fortune may be significantly too low. A new analysis by Los Angeles Times shows that, "Teresa Heinz Kerry, through a network of investments in blue-chip corporations, venture capital funds and municipal bonds, controls a family fortune worth an estimated $1 billion."
This sum puts THK (and her lucky husband) in a realm well beyond any previous occupant of the White House: far surpassing the wealth of Kerry's heroes, the Kennedys. And the assets, reports the Times, "are so vast and far-reaching that they mirror the U.S. economy, and will likely raise questions about conflicts of interest."
Because of the way financial disclosure forms, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, tax returns and other explanations are filed, it is not possible to say exactly how much THK is worth. Reports the Times, "Since key details of Heinz Kerry's investments are not in the public record, a precise valuation is not possible. The Times analysis produced estimates as low as $900 million and as high as $3.2 billion."
The Heinz fortune, inherited by Teresa when her first husband, Sen. John Heinz was killed in a plane crash in 1991, is held in a variety of ways: private trusts, investment accounts and real estate. The monies not only support Mrs. Heinz Kerry and her family but also a huge philanthropic network based in Pennsylvania.
If Kerry is elected, "he will join a long list of presidents who were helped by their wife's wealth. Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler, LBJ and William McKinley also married into wealth," according to Carl Sferrazza Anthony, a leading authority on first ladies. Sferrazza tells the Times, "George Washington married the wealthiest woman in the colony of Virginia." Martha Washington was also a widow who came to the marriage with sizable assets.
Another consequence of a win at the ballot box in November is that the couple may be forced to change how they deal with (mostly) her money. Leon Panetta, a former White House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton, told the Times, "They will have to seriously consider putting it in a blind trust...In the end, it is the better way to go, because it removes any suspicion that a decision is self-serving."
Sportsmen's Votes: Hooks and Bullets Up for Grabs: You've heard of soccer moms and security moms and this year's favorite, NASCAR dads. Now, The Washington Post reports on another prime voting bloc that both John Kerry and George W. Bush are hoping to snare in November: sportsmen.
The Post reports: "In the next few weeks, the Bush and Kerry camps will be rolling out their campaigns to win over what is often called the "hook and bullet" crowd. Numbering about 50 million strong and living in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Arkansas, the men and women who hunt and fish in this country have become significant players in the presidential campaign. These voters are attractive for a number of reasons. They tend to be politically active; 93 percent of registered hunters voted in the 2000 presidential election, according to a Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation survey conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, well above the national average. Although they lean Republican -- 46 percent, according to the CSF -- nearly a third are independent and 18 percent are Democratic, leaving ample room for political appeals."
While sportsmen tend to favor Republicans, The Post reports that there is concern among some about the Bush administration's conservation policies. "Many hunting and fishing advocates have criticized the administration for its treatment of wildlife habitat, whether it involves drilling for oil and gas near wildlife migration corridors or the prospect of easing regulation on public wetlands."
"They should not assume because we're registered Republicans we'll vote for Bush," said Jim Martin, who works for fishing tackle maker Pure Fishing. But he added that Democrat John F. Kerry still has to prove he deserves the loyalty of hunters and fishermen. "Neither side should assume they have this vote wrapped up," Martin said.
Quote of the Day: We have girls from London, Seattle, California, all coming in for that week...It's the week everyone wants to work" -- a Manhattan escort service madam, on the GOP convention. (New York Daily News).